Lescoe Plans To Resign

School Board Losing Member This Summer

BLOOMFIELD — Kathleen Lescoe, a political novice when she helped the GOP capture a school board majority three years ago, is stepping down from the board.

Lescoe, a town librarian and school volunteer when she was tapped by Republicans to run in 1991, intends to resign later this summer after the school board has finished evaluating Superintendent Paul Copes. Lescoe said she is resigning to spend more time with her parents.

Her parents have had four operations between them since her election to the board, Lescoe said. In addition, she wants to spend more time with the rest of her family, she said. She has a daughter who graduated from high school this month and another who will graduate in 1995.

The school board is expected to study using private enterprises for portions or all of the town's education system. In addition, consolidation of some administrative duties with the town will also be reviewed.

Lescoe also noted that a yearlong high school accreditation process will begin. Also, retirements and vacancies mean at least three top school administrators must be replaced.

Lescoe said the workload in the past year was daunting, and the prospects for the future prompted her decision. During her time on the school board, Lescoe has served as treasurer and assistant treasurer.

``This particular term has required more hours of me than the past two,'' Lescoe said. ``I can't give the job the time it needs.''

In her first run for elected office in 1991, Lescoe was the second- highest vote-getter in the school board race.

A former volunteer at Carmen Arace Middle School and a Vincent School PTO member, Lescoe worked at the town's Prosser Public Library for 12 years before her election. Following her election, Lescoe took a position with the Hartford Public Library.

Town Republicans are seeking interested party members to meet with the nominating committee, whose chairman, Nick Panke, has set a deadline of next Monday.

Nominating committee members intend to recommend a candidate to the GOP town committee at a special meeting July 26.

Under party bylaws, nominations from the floor at that special meeting can be made only if a candidate has been interviewed by the nominating committee, Panke said.